Monfils Exits Monte Carlo with Loss to Bublik

Gael Monfils bid farewell to the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday with a straight-sets defeat to eighth-seeded Alexander Bublik, marking the end of his 13th and final appearance at the ATP Masters 1000 event on the French Riviera.

The 39-year-old Frenchman, who received a wildcard entry, fell 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 17 minutes on Court Rainier III. Bublik, ranked No. 11, dominated with a sharp serve, winning 72 percent of points on his second delivery compared to Monfils's 40 percent, leaving little room for error in the baseline exchanges. Monfils appeared fatigued from his grueling first-round victory over Tallon Griekspoor, a three-set battle lasting over two hours that he won 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-4. That upset not only advanced him but also etched his name in the record books: at 39 years and five months, he became the second-oldest man to win a Masters 1000 match, and he surpassed Rafael Nadal for the most such victories by a French player with 145.

Monfils's Monte Carlo journey began in 2005 with a debut loss to Nadal, but the tournament held special significance. He reached the semifinals in 2015, defeating Roger Federer en route, and the final in 2016, where he pushed Nadal to...